Iowa schools must tell parents. Josh Turek voted no.

A federal appeals court documented a Linn-Mar policy that let students sideline parents; Iowa later required schools to notify them, and Turek voted no.

On Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, Aaron Rupar posted a clip of Ashley Hinson, the Republican U.S. Senate nominee in Iowa, saying her Democratic opponent, state Rep. Josh Turek, supports "allowing kids to change their gender at school and not tell the parents about it." Rupar's caption answered her: "This literally has never happened! Not once¹!" The Eighth Circuit described an Iowa school policy that allowed student gender plans to proceed without parental disclosure.²

Turek voted against the law that ended it^{3, 4, 2}. Did it ever happen? A federal appeals court says it did, and it describes the rule that allowed it.

Linn-Mar put parental secrecy in writing

In April 2022, the Linn-Mar Community School District adopted Board Policy 504.13-R. Under it, a student could request a Gender Support Plan, and the school had to meet with that student within 10 school days. The policy also barred the district from disclosing information that may reveal a student's transgender status to parents unless the law required it. A student who violated the policy faced discipline that could include suspension or expulsion².

The Eighth Circuit recorded that one mother's son, who wanted to speak about biological sex, women's sports and sex-separated bathrooms, stayed silent at school to avoid breaking the policy. Parents Defending Education sued the district in August 2022². A district that shut parents out and kept a boy quiet about biological reality: is that what never happened?

Iowa law restored parents’ right to know

Iowa answered with Senate File 496, which took effect July 1, 2023, and it prohibits a school district from knowingly giving parents false or misleading information about a student's gender identity or intention to transition. The law requires a school-employed licensed practitioner to report a student's request to an administrator, who must then report it to the parent. The Eighth Circuit said the enactment of Senate File 496 gave Parents Defending the relief it had sought².

On April 20, 2023, the Iowa House passed the bill 57 to 38⁴. Josh Turek was one of the 38 who voted no. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed it into law³. That is the law Turek voted against.

57 to 38

Iowa House vote on Senate File 496

PolitiFact addressed a different Hinson claim

PolitiFact rated Hinson's claim that Turek supported "sex changes for kids" false in its June 5, 2026, fact-check. Hinson campaign spokesperson Addie Lavis told PolitiFact the ad was not about gender-affirming surgeries. PolitiFact reports that Iowa law requires parental notification when a student requests a school accommodation affirming the student’s gender identity³.

Parents—not schools—direct a child’s upbringing

The bill, as the House amended it, codified the "fundamental, constitutionally protected right" of parents to make decisions about the upbringing, education and health care of their child⁵. A school that hears a child ask for a new name and new pronouns and keeps it from the mother and father puts its staff between the child and the family. Linn-Mar's policy did that. Iowa's law closes that door.

Voters can hold Turek to his vote

If an Iowa child asks her school to use a different name and pronoun, should the school tell her parents, yes or no? Josh Turek voted no. Iowa parents should get his answer before Election Day.